Multidisciplinary anti-human trafficking task forces support a collaborative effort among local and federal law enforcement, prosecutors, victim service providers, and other community stakeholders to identify and assist victims and to hold traffickers accountable.
This collaborative, interdisciplinary approach is needed more than ever in the fight against human trafficking. The U.S. Department of State reported that, in 2020, despite nearly 12,000 potential cases of human trafficking identified via the National Human Trafficking Hotline, only 220 new federal human trafficking prosecutions were initiated and 475 federal convictions were secured on human trafficking charges.1 The implementation of collaborative multidisciplinary approaches to human trafficking leverages the collective strengths of any array of partners, including police, prosecutors, victim advocacy and social service organizations, community leaders, community educators, and other stakeholders to increase capacity to identify victims; connect them to support and recovery resources; and initiate victim-centered, trauma-informed investigations and prosecutions.
To support the needs of multidisciplinary anti-human trafficking task forces, the IACP developed the Enhanced Collaborative Model (ECM) Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force Protocol Development Checklist Toolkit. The toolkit includes eight protocol development checklists, each providing a range of considerations to incorporate when developing shared protocols that govern the work of a multiagency, multidisciplinary team. These checklists encompass best practices and a trauma-informed and victim-centered approach and support the development and implementation of strong, effective protocols.
The toolkit includes protocol development checklists on the following topics:
Information sharing—supports streamlined information sharing and enhances clarity of the respective requirements, limitations, and procedures related to information sharing between task force partners.
Trauma-informed, accessible services for victims who are deaf or hard of hearing—establishes clear expectations for and proactive development of infrastructure for providing meaningful access to services and compliance with legal and ethical mandates.
Language access—establishes standards and procedures on language assistance measures for member organizations, supports compliance with legal and ethical mandates, and minimizes barriers to service for victims with limited English proficiency.
Referrals to/from law enforcement and victim service providers—supports streamlined connections between partner organizations; establishes clear pathways to guide appropriate, timely referrals; and accelerates responses to victims.
Communication and working with the media—supports the establishment of a shared vision for community education efforts and protection of victim rights and confidentiality, promotes ethical representation of human trafficking cases and victims, and encourages consistent messaging with accurate information about human trafficking.
Confidentiality—clarifies the various professional roles of task force members and agencies, as well as respective mandates and professional standards for confidentiality within each role.
Data collection—provides common standards for collection of data by task force members for analysis, reporting, and records.
Grant reporting—outlines expectations for task force agencies funded through the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime Enhanced Collaborative Model Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking program.
Note:
1New federal prosecutions indicates new cases for which prosecution was initiated during the reporting period; convictions secured during the reporting period may have been initiated in a previous reporting period; U.S. Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report, June 2020.
